Hanging Curtains Over Vertical Blinds

If you're going to take the vertical blinds down you can replace them with flat sheets. All you'll have to do is sew a hem in them deep enough for the curtain rod to slip through. I buy all mine from Walmart (as they are the ONLY place in my hometown that sells the flat and fitted sheets separately). They come in different width and length sizes. I've used sheets for all the windows in my home (including the patio door windows). Easy to clean (just throw them in the washer), dry and re-hang. Also, as we all know, the bottom fitted sheet of a sheet set always wears out sooner then the top flat sheet. That's why I always buy mine from Walmart because you don't always need the whole set. Just wish other stores would do the same.

Oh, I want to add one more thing. Definitely keep those verticals! They greatly help save energy by closing them when it's extremely cold or hot out.

I also have vertical blinds. There are special rods that jet out another two to four inches further than the blind brackets do and you simply hang them just above the existing window blind brackets. I found my curtain rod (twelve foot expandable because I have double sliding glass doors) at Penney's.

I've used the decorative brackets that mount to the wall and the rod rests in. you can get them in many price ranges and depending in the height of your window, you can even use flat sheets which you can sew (or glue) a border or ribbon on as the curtains. here's a link to a site with good photos, but you can find the brackets in many places. You can also buy cheap inexpensive fabric by the yard and just put in a whip stitch hem if the windows are really high. The brackets should give you the leeway to go past the awful blinds.
http://www.curzoncollection.com/Brackets/brackets.php

Venetian blinds don't stick out from the wall like vertical blinds do. Change the blind type and you can use an elaborate/decorative curtain rod with drapes, curtains or swags.